Alex was pulled from his slumber with flashing of images and emotions. The sight of the Rift, exultation at jumping off a high cliff, and a view of Alex splashing into the water. These images were accompanied by the excited feeling of consuming mana and what sounded like chittering.
“Ugh, Val.” Alex groaned. He rolled over on his makeshift bed. In the last several days, he’d abandoned his defensive sleeping posture for something more comfortable. Using his packed camping blanket to soften the cold floor and his backpack as a pillow.
Since Alex had begun to learn how to communicate with the spiders through broken words and a mix of emotions or mental images, Val had begun to copy the process Alex was learning. While the spiders and Alex were using words and cave-man-like speech, Val stuck with his mental calls that reminded Alex of dolphin noises. He did start to tie in a mix of feelings, images, and sensations to his speech that traveled quite naturally through their System Bond. While it was disorientating at times, especially while sleeping, it allowed Alex to have a better idea of what his companion was feeling.
Alex sat up and rubbed his eyes.
“How long has it been since we came into this Rift, Val? Just over a week? We need to get out of these tunnels soon.”
While they were able to learn a lot and gain more levels than would normally be possible, the confined space and lack of sunshine were beginning to wear on Alex’s psyche.
Val came over and circled over his head while projecting feelings of safety in darkness and fear in sunlight.
“Yes, I know it’s safer here, but we need to escape. We can’t just stay here forever. Plus, we both know you just want to keep snacking on mana webs.”
The only response was the sensation of a full belly, which reminded Alex of leaving an all-you-can-eat restaurant.
Alex laughed before standing, packing his blanket into the spatial bag, and setting his mostly empty camping backpack against the back wall. He began to perform some stretches and wondered when they’d get more food.
Man, I miss meat—ugh, and potatoes. Fuck me, french fries sound good.
Despite the sensation of a full stomach, it only highlighted to his subconscious that he’d been on light rations for days.
After stretching, Alex began to do a small stationary workout including pushups, burpees, and sit-ups. He was determined to work on his physical fitness after the poor showing at the start of the Rift.
He’d begun to work up a sweat when he heard a piercing screech. Compared to the colony’s typically quiet environment, the jarring sound was enough to make Alex jump. He picked up his scabbard from where it lay and drew the rapier. He sliced open the webbing that blocked his doorway and emerged from the room while surveying the open cavern with his mana vision.
The scene was chaos. Alex knew that he didn’t see many of the Mana Spinners due to their ability to conceal and hold in their natural mana, but there were always exceptions. He had begun to note that many of the younger spiders and what he assumed to be old or female arachnids didn’t bother with keeping their mana concealed, though these groups were often kept away from him. At that moment, he saw large numbers of those groups being taken toward one side of the colony or exits on that side. There was a stream of Mana Spinners exiting a tunnel not far from his ground-floor alcove, which all had their mana concealed.
Are those fighters? Is something happening?
Feeling some panic rise for his new companions, Alex rushed into his room to grab his pack, belt on his sword, and attach the spatial pouch to his waist. When he emerged and walked out of his fenced-in area, none of the Mana Spinners tried to stop him from moving, all too preoccupied with current events. He took off down the tunnel that he’d seen the other spiders going down and toward the source of the loud screeches. He used [Empowered Steps] to move quickly through the tunnel, finding it easy to follow the signs that were left by the Mana Spinners. After travelling the tunnels and spending time with them, he could see markers that they would leave on tunnel walls or in certain webs to mark a direction.
It wasn’t long before he caught up with the group in a large cavern and paused at the horrible sight.
At least five of the spiders were currently throwing themselves with reckless abandon at a large writhing shape. It only took a moment for Alex to recognize the large shadow serpent that had cornered him and forced him to make his leap across the chasm.
The Firstborn, it found me?
The normally blue mana that leaked from his rituals and the few spiders he’d seen so far looked so different in the snake. Its mana curled off in furls of smokey grey mana or dripped like oil from other places. Between the dark black scales and the grey mana, it was hard to track even with his Heavenly Eye.
From his vantage point, the spiders’ strategy was clear. The five spiders upfront were throwing themselves at the larger snake, attempting to poke or stab at it with their legs and mandibles. This seemed ineffective, and they knew it, but from where he stood, Alex could tell what the real purpose was.
Stolen novel; please report.
They’re buying time for the few in the back… wait, they’re using rituals?
“Val, wait!” Alex called, reaching out for his bond.
Val seemed to want to go down there, but Alex knew that there was nothing the two of them could do against this monster. The thought of jumping in would only serve to mess up the trap that the spiders were laying.
Despite the sounds of conflict, his voice cut through the cavern. This caused the snake's head to whip up and make eye contact with Alex. He gulped and moved a bit further back from his small ledge, breaking his line of sight with the serpent. The sounds of fighting renewed, and Alex leaned back out to see the fight unfold.
Alex couldn’t believe the speed and precision with which the Mana Spinners were setting up individual ritual circles. The rituals took shape and Alex could see them clearly with his mana sight, but he knew that they would be all but invisible to the serpent. The closest of the circles looked to be made for restraint while the two just beyond it were to set off a detonation.
Seeing the power and mana placed into those rear explosive rituals, Alex took an involuntary step back.
It was then that the spiders proved their intelligence once again. The group setting rituals finished and retreated in multiple different directions, scattering into the darkness. Two of the five that had engaged the snake were already dead, and two more were injured. The third moved speedily away from the snake, deftly avoiding the ritual traps.
Alex stood transfixed, watching as the two remaining spiders skittered across the floor and acted as bait. The snare trap activated and caused webbing to appear from the circle and restrain the snake. As if anticipating its reaction, the two stood just beyond the snake's reach. Enraged, the serpent let out a hissing sound. Slowed by the webs, it coiled before springing forward. The wounded spider to the right was the target, and the shadow serpent’s mouth clamped down on it, killing it almost instantly. In the blink of an eye, the snake had crossed the distance and killed the smaller monster.
This caused the snake to cross the explosive ritual circle, which detonated under its elongated form. The explosion rocked the cavern, and Alex covered his eyes at the bright light. The snake hissed and retreated quickly, leaving a black smear of blood across the broken cavern floor. Both of the last spiders died, leaving four dead in that room alone. They lay on their backs, with their legs curled and pointed up toward the ceiling.
Alex retreated back toward the colony, feeling sick to his stomach. There was a long and low call from Val in his mind as his companion trailed along beside him.
There’s nothing we can do against that monster, buddy. I’m sorry; I wanted to help, too.
The two shared a feeling of guilt through their link, and Alex did his best to push it aside while thinking of his next steps.
When the two returned to the cave, there were many spiders huddled and webs connecting them as they spoke. Clumsily, Alex reached out and connected a thicker mana tendril to the group’s web of communication.
“Small Rakshasi attack, why? We stay quiet. We are in the big tunnel, quiet.” This came with the feeling of outrage and sorrow. Helplessness could be felt in answer to the spider’s words.
“Many dead. Injured enemy. But will return.” Pain filled the thoughts of this Mana Spinner, bringing Alex’s guilt to the surface once again.
“Council when?” Accompanied by the feeling of urgency.
“What do?” Followed by the feeling of the collective colony.
Alex decided that it was time to move. The colony had been kind to him and Val, allowing them to rest and even gain levels while asking for nothing in return.
“The Firstborn is chasing me. We will leave and draw the Shadow Serpent away from the colony before it returns to do more damage to your nest.” Alex spoke up, doing his best to send forth a sense of confidence. He was well aware that he did not do a great job at projecting his emotions, and a fair amount of guilt also seeped into the communication.
Chatter continued through the web, though directives were soon given, and the huddle split. Three spiders remained connected and reached webs out to Alex.
“Council prepared gift. You take. You leave.”
“Elder will guide to surface.” There was a sense of one Mana Spinner, which Alex had begun to associate with the word Elder. The spiders didn’t tend to use names or even pronouns; instead, each specific one was associated with the community's role and certain feelings.
It was complicated to follow, but Alex was touched to realize that they had a certain collective feeling and term for him that resembled magical circles and companionship.
Who would have ever thought this sort of thing was possible? I’ve been living with a group of giant magic-wielding spiders who think of me as a friend.
Or… maybe a pet?
If it weren’t for the stressful situation, Alex thought that he might feel more touched and want to stay with the group longer. However, he knew that he needed to leave soon, regardless, and it didn’t feel right to stay hidden in the colony any longer. He had already brought trouble to the group and didn’t want to be the cause of any more of their deaths.
Movement brought his attention back to the group, and the one Mana Spinner Alex could recognize easily stepped forward and offered him a roll of cloth. It took a moment for Alex to realize that it was a thick roll of spider silk.
The spider reached out and referenced Alex and ‘hungry-flying-baby-snake’ before speaking to the gift. “Special spider silk. Holds much mana. Good at look changes. Help hide.”
Alex did his best to piece the words together as they were accompanied by other concepts like vastness, hiding, and the change of time and appearance. Unsure of how to respond, Alex dipped his head and, rather than speaking, just sent the feeling of gratitude, relief, and admiration through the linked mana. He couldn’t help but wince as he also felt feelings of guilt and urgency slip through.
The spider bowed the front of its body before unwinding its web from Alex’s crude tendril that was still the size of a rope rather than the delicate threads that the Mana Spinners used.
Some rushed preparations were made, but in fewer than 10 minutes Alex set off following after the Mana Spinner that was missing one of his front arms.
This is one of their elders?
Alex hadn’t realized that his lessons in speech had been coming form someone important to the colony, but perhaps their hierarchy didn’t work like humans.
He pushed the thoughts aside and made sure to pay attention to their surroundings. While he traveled behind the spider, he used [Empowered Step] to keep up and couldn’t help but marvel at the Mana Spinner’s skill for the second time. So far, he’d largely seen them move slowly and deliberately to repair webbing or learn the rituals.
Seeing the speed with which his guide could spin threads of mana to leave a trail behind them while also using them to skate along in the tunnel blew Alex’s mind. Over the last week that he’d spent with them, he’d begun to think that he’d soon reach their level of control or Willpower through leveling. Now that he saw what they could do when motivated to move fast, he knew that the gap was much wider than he had thought.